Podcast Episode 1: ‘I Literally Dove into that Bomb Shelter Headfirst’

October 13, 2026

Far Away, Up Close: Global Stories from The Carter Center

Episode 1: ‘I Literally Dove into that Bomb Shelter Headfirst’

Kelly Callahan began her public health career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Côte d’Ivoire, working to prevent the spread of Guinea worm disease. Her goal was to change just one person’s life for the better.

Today, as senior advisor for the Carter Center’s Trachoma Control Program, she leads a team that helps protect millions of people from trachoma, a highly contagious bacterial infection that can cause blindness.

In this episode, Kelly talks about meeting former U.S. President Jimmy Carter for the first time, how her mother inspired her to serve others, and dodging bombs and venomous snakes to deliver water filters in a Sudanese war zone.